Forgiveness
by Darrencrisslover
Summary: When Jeff and Nick started dating, they had promised each other only three things. That they'd always tell the other if something was wrong, that they would never lie to each other, and that Jeff would always tell Nick if he'd started cutting again. No matter what. So what happens when Jeff breaks some of those promises? Will he really be as alone as he feels? Niff.
1. Chapter 1

FORGIVNESS

Jeff fell onto his bed in a crumpled heap. He felt absolutely miserable. He just knew that Nick was going to hate him forever for what he'd done. _Nick. _The only person he fully trusted. The only person he regarded as something similar to family. His boyfriend. _Probably Ex-Boyfriend now. _Jeff thought gloomily. There really was no excuse for what had happened. When he and Nick started dating, they had promised each other only three things. That they'd always tell the other if something was wrong, that they would never lie to each other, and that Jeff would always tell Nick if he'd started cutting again. No matter what. It wouldn't matter if they broke up, either. Their bond goes so much further than just a romantic relationship. Nick had saved Jeff from himself, and Jeff helped Nick figure out who he really was. They had been best friends since freshman year, and grew even closer once Jeff transferred to Dalton to escape his old life. Nick does so much for Jeff every single day. And Jeff had just failed him.

Two months ago, Jeff's mom contacted him and asked him to come home. To visit the family. Nick had argued immediately, saying that when they kicked Jeff out of the house they kicked him out of their lives. No matter what reasons Jeff gave him for wanting to go, Nick refused to let him. Nick had a point, too. Jeff's parents were never good to him, even before he'd come out. His father would come home drunk, and physically abuse Jeff for not being the perfect something or other. His mother would just stand off to the side, too scared to intervene. Nick was making some very valid points as to why Jeff should decline the invite. Eventually, Jeff just agreed, knowing that he'd find a way to go home anyway, because, in all honesty, he really did miss his family, deep down. He contacted his mom to tell her that he'd be home for spring break. Nick was spending the week with his parents, and although Jeff was invited to come too, he knew that it was a personal family time for Nick and he didn't want to intrude.

When he finally got home, he was really optimistic that this time it would be different. And in a way, it was. His dad still went out, still got drunk. His mom was still pretty much nowhere to be found most of the time. But instead of beating the crap out of Jeff every time he came home, Jeff's dad turned to verbal abuse. The usual words were always there, "_What do you want, you dirty fag? Why do I even pay for you? You'll never amount to anything. You will always just be a disgrace to my family. I'm so ashamed to even think about calling you my son!" _These kinds of words were typical when Jeff still lived here. He thought he could handle it. Only a week, and his mom would be satisfied. He wouldn't even come back with any bruises! Nick would never find out. Jeff stayed strong for the first few days. It was the fourth day of the nine day vacation that his dad hit the one spot Jeff had secretly been dreading he'd skip. Nick.

_"And what about you 'boyfriend'? That poor boy left trailing after you! You force pity onto all of those so called friends of yours! Oh don't look so surprised, kid. You really think that people want to be around you? They don't actually like you! Nobody does! Your boyfriend doesn't love you, that's for sure! Or is there another reason any of your 'friends' haven't called you? Texted you? It's because they're all so relived that your gone!" _That hit Jeff like a punch in the gut. Because it was true. He'd gotten only one text from Nick so far this week. And that was to tell him goodbye for the week. All of the self-loathing from before came rushing at Jeff, and it engulfed him in a swarm of words swimming around in his head. The cutting started again shortly after that. And it continued to get worse as the week passed. His dad never let up on the constant flow of hatred directed at Jeff, and the insults continued to be aimed at Nick. Now that Jeff's father had found the kink in Jeff's armor, he was attacking it with full force.

And that is how Jeff found himself in the state he's in. He feels absolutely wretched. He did two of the things he'd promised Nick he'd never do in on week. That alone gave him a sickening feeling in his stomach. But what really got him is that he knew this was the perfect excuse for Nick to drop him. The past week with his father had convinced him that Nick really didn't care about him at all, and Jeff was just a charity case. Jeff let out a strangled sob, and reached out for the razor he'd left on his nightstand. He didn't care that Nick would be back any minute. All of the memories were forcing another wave of hatred upon him. At his dad, his mom, and himself. At the world for not accepting him. At his 'friends' for lying to him. But not at Nick. No, he loved Nick to much to aim any of this at him. It would never be Nick's fault. A knock on the door caused Jeff to shove the razor under his pillow and pull his jacket sleeve over the still openly bleeding wounds on his arm. The door swung open to reveal a beaming Nick.

"Jeffy!" Nick called out to the still form lying on Jeff's bed. Jeff stayed as still as possible, hoping that Nick would assume he was asleep. He really didn't want to face these issues today. But of course, Nick knew Jeff too well to fall for that. And he knew him well enough to know that something was wrong. "Jeff," Nick started as he sat down hesitantly beside Jeff. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong," Jeff mumbled quietly. It's obvious now that Nick knows that something's up. Jeff just hopes that he'll see that he doesn't want to talk about it and leave it alone for now.

**(NPOV) **

"Jeff..." Nick said. "I know something happened. Please tell me?" Nick pleaded. As he was talking, he slid his hands around Jeff's waist, encircling him from behind. But when Jeff flinched away at the contact, Nick grew even more worried. "Jeffy, baby, please! I want to help." Jeff's hands tried futilely to undo Nick's from around his waist. And that was when Nick felt it. The warm, sticky blood was seeping through Jeff's jacket sleeve and staining the blue fabric a dark red. As Nick made the connection, his eyes welled up with tears. "Jeff please tell me this isn't what I think it is... please?"

At this, Jeff broke down. The tears he'd been holding back came pouring out of his eyes. "I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry!" Jeff was bawling. Nick tried to calm him down, but being close to hysteria himself, it wasn't having much of an effect.

Nick didn't care whatsoever that Jeff broke one of the promises he'd made him. He just wanted to know what had happened. The vows that they'd made was more to remind the other that they cared and would always be there. He was concerned that Jeff was worried he would break up with him or something drastic like that over this. And yet, it seemed like there was more behind it. Jeff had been fighting for two years now, and something minor wouldn't be big enough to result in this. And by the amount of blood seeping through the jacket, Nick guessed that it wasn't just a few fresh cuts. Deciding that patching up the cuts would be a good place to start, Nick carefully detached himself from Jeff and headed to the bathroom to get the first aid kit.

When he returned, Jeff had curled himself in a tight ball and the amount of tears flowing from his eyes had not stopped. If anything, it had increased. Nick's heart broke into a million pieces at the sight.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Wow. So thank you everyone who favorited, reviewed or subscribed to this story! The response really blew me away. So much, in fact, that I felt like I needed to write as quick as possible to get you guys the next chapter! Also, please excuse the probably countless errors in this chapter. My beta is currently on vacation so she doesn't have a computer. So, without further ado, chapter two! **

**DISCLAIMER: Me no own. **

Jeff was bawling. Nick tried to calm him down, but being close to hysteria himself, it wasn't having much of an effect.

Nick didn't care whatsoever that Jeff broke one of the promises he'd made him. He just wanted to know what had happened. The vows that they'd made were more to remind the other that they cared and would always be there. He was concerned that Jeff was worried he would break up with him or something drastic like that over _this_. And yet, it seemed like there was more behind it. Jeff had been fighting for two years now, and something minor wouldn't be forceful enough to push him back over the edge. And by the amount of blood seeping through the jacket, Nick guessed that it wasn't just a few fresh cuts. Deciding that patching up the cuts would be a good place to start, Nick carefully detached himself from Jeff and headed to the bathroom to get the first aid kit.

When he returned, Jeff had curled himself in a tight ball and the amount of tears flowing from his eyes had not stopped. If anything, they had increased. Nick's heart shattered into a million pieces at the sight.

"Jeff," Nick whispered, as if merely talking too loud would break this fragile boy. "Jeff," he repeated, "I need to bandage your cuts. Please let me… see them?" Nick gently walked over to where Jeff was and sat down on the bed beside the crumpled heap.

Jeff slowly sat up, still pointedly avoiding Nick's eyes. He slipped of the jacket, now stained red, to reveal a truly heart-wrenching sight. Up and down both arms there was a multitude of scars. Some old, faded and barely visible, some fresh and bright red. The worst were not the ones that looked only a few minutes old, though. There were some that were puffy and red around the edges, still trying to heal and looking as though they had not been attended to when it was necessary. Nick wondered if Jeff had even bothered to wash the blade he'd obviously used more than once this past week.

"Shit, Jeff."

Probably not the best thing to say at the moment, but Nick found himself at a loss of words. The situation was far, far worse than he'd first assumed. "Oh Jeff… Why didn't you call me?"

"I.. I cou-couldn't!" Jeff forced out, each word followed by a sob.

Nick, who had started to clean the numerous wounds in Jeff's arm, froze and that. _Does Jeff really think he can't talk to me about this? _"Jeff you can always call me. Always. Do you hear me? It doesn't matter whether I'm in the same room, in class or on the other side of the world- I'll always pick up." After a pregnant pause, Nick realized that Jeff wasn't going to answer him. Or look at him. He was about to continue his rant, and try to understand what had happened to make Jeff so distant and afraid, but decided that that could wait. At the moment, Jeff needed him to care and love him, not scream and pry.

He quickly finished cleaning the cuts, making note to keep checking on some of them. They looked very close to infection, but Nick knew that Jeff wouldn't want to get it checked out unless it was completely unavoidable. Probably not even then. "There," Nick said softly. "Done." He then moved to place a soft kiss on the bandage covering Jeff's right wrist, but Jeff hopped up quickly, making an excuse about a shower or something. By the time He'd come out, Nick had fallen asleep.

**(JPOV)**

He quietly, as to not wake his boyf- Nick, made his way to his dresser. He'd forgotten to grab a change of clothes during his rush to the bathroom, and therefore only had a towel wrapped around his waist. He pulled open a drawer, expecting to find random articles of clothes carelessly shoved in. Upon finding it empty, he realized he'd not unpacked his suitcase from his week at home. _Shit. _He thought. Nick would start asking questions if he saw Jeff unpacking things, when he supposedly stayed at school this past week. _Maybe if I hurry I can get it done while he's sleeping… _Jeff thought desperately.

He hurried to open the closet door, where he'd dumped the suitcase the minute he'd walked into his dorm. Damn his bad habits… Forgetting about his sleeping roommate, he tore open the zipper and pulled out a random pair of boxers, a long sleeve t-shirt, and a pair of sweats. Because he was facing the inside of the closet, he didn't see his roommate wake up, rubbing his eyes in confusion. As the brunet's eyes adjusted and he took his surroundings, Jeff started pulling things out of his suitcase and rushing to mindlessly stuff them into random drawers.

"Jeff… why are you unpacking?" Nick asked groggily. "I thought-" yawn "I thought you'd stayed at Dalton… You stayed at Dalton, right?"

Jeff froze. Then panicked. Then desperately tried to come up with an excuse. _It's your suitcase- I was unpacking for you_, no, Nick's suitcase was next to his bed, not in the closet. _I stayed with Thad. _If Jeff wouldn't accept Nick's invitation for fear of intruding on their family time, there was no way in hell that he would got to Thad's, and Nick knew that. _I hadn't unpacked from the last vacation. _Even Jeff knew that was bull shit. He hadn't left Dalton since last summer. So, he did the one thing he could do when he was panicked and stressed and worried all at the same time; he burst into tears. Funny, he seemed to be doing a lot of that lately. Crying.

Nick sat on his bed in complete shock. When it finally registered that Jeff was crying, and that he should probably do something about it, he stumbled out of his bed and walked unsteadily, he was still half asleep, to where Jeff had sunk onto the floor.

Jeff, hearing the shuffling of feet on hard wood, cringed. He knew that sound well enough to figure what was coming next. Yelling. Screaming. Hurtful words. Fists. Nick had finally had it was Jeff, just like everyone eventually did.

"Please… Please don't hit me."

**A/N: So… Chapter two! xD Tell me what you thought? I'm sorry this is relatively short. My updates are also going to be kinda sporadic and not reliable because I'm currently sharing a computer with my brother and can hardly find time to write. Sorry! But please review because it makes me happy and I'll give you virtual internet hugs! (: **


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Okay so I have a lot of apologizing to do. This chapter is quite late and relatively short. I know where I want to take the next one, and hopefully it will be longer! I'm also currently writing a book (yeah I'm kind of excited about that) and it's taking up a lot of my time, due to the fact that the ideas for that are fresh and coming and going so quickly that I don't want to lose them! Also, I just want to thank everybody who has subscribed thus far. I just keep watching the number go up and its crazy to me that so many of you are interested in my random head ramblings! Anywho, I hope you enjoy chapter three! We finally get a bit of confrontation between them! Yay for that (: **

"Please… Please don't hit me."

Nick's heart plummeted into his stomach. Why on earth would Jeff think that Nick would _hit _him? He had never been pushy or aggressive in their entire relationship. …Had he? "I… I'm not going to hurt you Jeff. Alright?" He said in the calmest voice he could muster, although it was still a bit shaky. Jeff looked up slightly, tears streaming down his face.

"O…okay," the reply was barely audible, but it was enough for Nick. He cautiously continued to make his way across the room, steps now quiet and more precise.

"Jeff," he softly tried to get the boy's attention, simultaneously putting his arm around him. A frown etched itself onto Nick's face when Jeff flinched away from his touch as if he was being burned. _Or attacked… _Nick quickly pushed _**that **_thought far away. He would **never **hurt Jeff, and Jeff knew that. _Right? _Growing more concerned each second that his boyfriend refrained from answering him, Nick turned his own body so that he was face to face with Jeff. Well, face to fringe-of-blond-hair, seeing as how Jeff had let his head fall back into his hands to try and stifle the sobs wracking his body.

"Jeff, what happened? Ever since I got back you've been treating me like… like I'm not your boyfriend. Like I did something unforgiveable… What did I do?" The hurt that Nick had been trying to keep away from his features somehow made its way into his voice.

Jeff raised his head to look at Nick with big, watery eyes. The heart wrenching sobs had subsided to silent tears. "I… you didn't do any- anything Nicky. I… I had a bad dream about… about my Dad. That's it… I'm still just a bit shaken by it, is all," Jeff gave Nick a watery smile, before going back to staring at his hands.

Internally, Nick was thanking God it hadn't been something more than just a bad dream. A grin seeped onto his face. "Next time, just tell me! You really scared me there!" After a pause, Nick voiced the newest concern that popped into his mind. "He hasn't contacted you, has he?"

"You know my mom asked me to come home for the vacation…"

"Yes, but that's your mom. It's different. Jeff, has he called you or something?"

"No! God Nick, it was just a bad dream!"

"I… Sorry. I'm just worried about you, it's my job," Nick said with a wink at the end.

"No, I'm sorry for snapping at you… I just don't wanna talk about it now."

Nick nodded, placing a small kiss on Jeff's cheek. Pleased when Jeff flinch away, he stood up and made his way to his suit case, which was lying beside his bed. Slipping into the bathroom, he turned on the shower and quickly undressed as he waited for the water to heat up. Once it had, he stepped in and let the hot water run over his tired body. Even with the recent nap, he was exhausted. As he absentmindedly ran his shampoo coated fingers through his hair, his mind drifted to the sheer craziness that had gone on today. He'd been expecting to come home and have a great time with his boyfriend whom he hadn't seen in a week, and instead came home to a scene he'd only seen in his nightmares.

_This still doesn't explain the suitcase…_

_Or why he's been distant all day. _

_There's no need to dwell on that, it was probably just a part of the nightmare. _

_I wonder if he's been having them all week…_

_He must have, there were way more than just a few scars on his arm. _

_I shouldn't have gone home. _

_Or at least, I should have insisted that he came with me! _

_I just need to make sure he knows that I love him. And that I'm staying here…_

_It took me so long to convince him of that in the first place! _

_I can't believe it just took one week away for us to get back to this. _

Realizing that the water had started turning cold, he quickly washed his hair. Shutting the water off, he grabbed a towel and quickly dried himself. He threw on his clothes, his hand covering his mouth as he yawned. He quietly opened the door, guessing that Jeff was asleep.

He was. Nick always liked the way Jeff looked when he was sleeping; his face would soften and he would lose the lines that always seemed to be there, even when he appeared to be relaxed. There was always something nagging at the back of Jeff's head, and it took somebody that knew him as well as Nick did to be able to see that. The worry lines melted away into a serene look that mirrored the beauty of an angel, in Nick (slightly biased) opinion.

Deciding that if he didn't immediately fall onto a bed he would most likely face plant onto the ground, Nick made his way towards the bed that Jeff had fallen asleep on. (They didn't really know who's bed was who's anymore; the spent pretty much every night wrapped in each other's arms that it didn't matter.) The soft padding of his feet stopped as he second guessed his subconscious choice. While he typically wouldn't question the fact that Jeff would want to wake up in his arms, the odd behavior of his boyfriend had him wondering if it was the best decision. If Jeff had another nightmare about his dad, he could mistake the warm arms wrapped safely around him as the iron grip of the older man's arms, about to hurt him in some fashion. Finally concluding that he'd just take the safe route and sleep on the other bed, Nick let his exhausted body fall into an undisturbed sleep.

**A/N: So did you enjoy? I always have this subconscious feeling that my writing sucks and just keeps getting worse… and that I'm overdoing it or something. So, as always, some feedback would be fantastic! **


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: So here's chapter four! Whoop whoop! I know I have some major apologies to make. It's been far too long since I updated, but hey! I warned you all that it might take a while. This is the longest chapter so far, (I think…). Without further ado, chapter four!**

Waking up alone was an odd sensation for Nick. Although he'd been doing it for the past week, the beds at Dalton just didn't feel… right when he wasn't huddled up beside Jeff's warm body. _Speaking of Jeff…_ Nick opened his eyes up fully to look at his boyfriend in the bed adjacent to his. A bed that appeared to be empty. _That's odd… Jeff _never _wakes up before me… huh. _He lost his train of thought when he caught a glimpse of the clock. 7:48. Well, shit. Classes start in about ten minutes. With a groan, Nick somehow picked himself up out of bed and groggily made his way into the bathroom to get ready for his classes.

The day dragged on for what seemed like forever. Nick never much liked his Monday classes, not that many people did. Although it wasn't a start of the week resentment more so than the fact that Jeff and himself only had Warblers together, making Mondays the overall worst day of the week. This day was particularly bad, because the Warbler practice had been cancelled so that the boys could all "catch up on school work." AKA Wes and David have been apart for the past week and need some… ahem… alone time.

Jeff's day had been a little bit more exciting than Nick's. He woke up early with the intent of avoiding Nick as much as possible throughout the morning. The previous night had been emotionally trying on him and had put his previously nonexistent acting skills to the test. The fact that Nick had believed his lie was something of a miracle. He knew that keeping up this story would be a challenge, and it would be very helpful for him to escape the presence of Nick as often as possible until the whole story kind of blew over.

When he was alerted that Warbler practice had been cancelled, he'd been truly relieved. You see, it was clear in his mind that to his 'friends' he'd been nothing more than a pity case and an annoying tag along. The despair he'd felt at the thought of facing all of the people that had played him for so long and still kept up their fake smiles and kind words. He'd already had up his bubbly façade all day, he was relieved to be able to let the walls down once he got back to his room. Back to his razor. With that thought in mind, his footsteps quickened until he was almost running back to the dorms.

Panting slightly, he shut the door and tore off his blazer, full intent on getting into the bathroom and his secret stash of blades. His defenses were already slipping down when he heard a laughing voice behind him. Tensing up, he spun around with a frightened expression on his face. Something resembling an animal that had experienced one too many close calls with death.

"Jeff? Buddy, It's just me!" Nick replied, a bit of laughter in his voice at the startled look on Jeff's face.

"O-oh yeah I know. You just scared me a bit there…" Jeff forced out a very fake sounding laugh.

"So how was your day? I feel like I didn't see you once! Ya know, typically we pass in the hallways or whatever but today you were like no were to be found, man," Nick said jokingly, scooting over and patting the spot next to him on the bed.

"I guess we just kept missing each other…" Jeff trailed off while sitting on the very edge of the bed, as far from Nick as possible; although, the size of the beds still only left him about four inches of space. Nick, frowning slightly inched closer until he and Jeff were side by side. Jeff tried his best to not look uncomfortable.

"Yeah… I guess so," Nick mumbled quietly, his mind clearly on something else. "Hey… Jeffy? Can I see your arm? I just want to make sure the cuts are healing properly… they were uh, pretty bad the other night."

Internally, Jeff started to panic. Realizing there was no way out of this, he gently rolled up his sleeve, thanking whatever was up there that he was having this conversation now and not after he'd done what he'd planned on this afternoon. Nick cautiously undid the bandages, not wanting to rub against the still fresh wounds. He quietly inspected the cuts he'd been most worried about before grabbing a random tube of Neosporin and a fresh Band-Aid from the bedside table. (He kept them there because with all the stunts that they pull at Dalton, you never know when you're going to need some first aid and it was easier to have them there than lost in the bathroom.)

"They look a bit better… I'm sure they'll be fine eventually, but we'll see tomorrow," Nick concluded with a nod. He then softly rolled Jeff's sleeve down and kissed the white fabric. Jeff wasn't really paying attention- his mind was processing what Nick had just said. _'We'll see tomorrow'_. That meant… Nick was going to check his arm again tomorrow. And probably the day after, and they day after that and so on… Meaning Jeff wouldn't be able to cut again without raising a lot of suspicion. Why couldn't Nick just leave him alone? He obviously wanted to, and yet he still acted like he cared and it was drying Jeff insane. Maybe it was because they shared a dorm and it'd be too hard to ignore Jeff? But… he could always get a room swap. Well, that didn't change the amount of classes they had together. It must be because he couldn't stand to see pathetic little Jeff every day.

Realizing he had yet to respond to Nick, Jeff nodded and forced a small smile that looked almost real. "Thanks Nick. I think I'm going to go… take a walk. Clear my head after all of those… hard classes today. I'll be back later, okay?"

Nick returned his smile with a much bigger one. "Okay Jeffers. I'll see you at dinner?"

"Yeah…" With that, Jeff quickly made his way as far as possible from dorm room 336 as possible. He wondered aimlessly around, trying and failing to think of something other than what was going on in his life right now. Somehow he'd found his way to Warblers Hall. During his walk across the grounds he'd decided that he was going to make up some reason to quit the glee club. Even though it was just about one of the only things he enjoyed in his life, he couldn't stand to go back there week after week and know that he's just tainting the group with his presence. However, nothing could ever rid him of his passion for singing, and when he saw the beautiful piano just in the back of the room, he couldn't evade the want to play it.

Walking to it, he first played a few random notes, deciding what he wanted to sing. Finally deciding on a song that was no short of perfect for him, he started up the beginning chords.

_My ship went down, _

_In a sea of sound_

_When I woke up alone I had everything._

_A handful of moments I wish I could change _

_and a tongue like a nightmare that cut like a blade. _

_In a city of fools,_

_I was careful and cool _

_But they tore me apart like a hurricane._

_A handful of moments I wish I could change _

_But I was carried away…_

_Give me therapy, _

_I'm a walking travesty _

_But I'm smiling at everything_

_Therapy, _

_you were never a friend to me_

_You can keep all your misery._

_My lungs gave out,_

_As I faced the crowd_

_I think that keeping this up could be dangerous_

_I'm flesh and bone,_

_I'm a rolling stone_

_And the experts say I'm delirious_

_Give me therapy _

_I'm a walking travesty _

_But I'm smiling at everything._

_Therapy, _

_You were never a friend to me_

_You can take back your misery. _

_Arrogant boy, _

_Love yourself so no one has to_

_They're better off without you._

_Arrogant boy,_

_Cause a scene like you're supposed to_

_They'll fall asleep without you _

_You're lucky if your memory remains _

_Give me therapy,_

_I'm a walking travesty _

_But I'm smiling at everything. _

_Therapy,_

_You were never a friend to me._

_You can take back your misery._

_Therapy_

_I'm a walking travesty_

_But I'm smiling at everything_

_Therapy, _

_You were never a friend to me!_

_And you can choke on your misery. _

They song finished as the silent tears turned into sobs. The lyrics all just hit too close to home. Jeff crumpled onto the piano as he shook with the forces of his tears.

Thad's heard shattered at the broken sight in front of him. The emotion in the song he'd just overheard was like nothing he'd ever experienced. Even when the tears were streaming down Jeff's face, he'd continued with just as much strength as he'd started with. His voice didn't waver from the outcry of feelings that he was expressing. He knew he shouldn't have listened in; that performance was obviously meant to not be heard, but the song had captivated him. It drew him in until he was peeking through the door to get a look at who was singing. He was surprised and yet not overly shocked that it was Jeff. They all knew that he'd struggled with self-hate and self-harm, but he'd figured that Nick had kind of brought an end to all of that. Obviously, he was wrong.

Walking back to his dorm, Thad's thoughts didn't stray from the heartbreaking performance he'd just witnessed. What worried him the most were the lines "_I'm a walking travesty, but I'm smiling at everything". _He thought back to all the times he'd seen Jeff laughing or smiling with the rest of them, and wondered how many times those had all been forced.

As he turned the key in the lock there was one thing he knew for sure- He had to talk to Jeff, soon.

**A/N: So I always told myself that I wouldn't put a song in my stories because I always found it kinda boring and stuff. But, this song was basically on repeat the whole time I was writing this chapter and it just fits so **_**perfectly **_**with Jeff's situation that I couldn't help but putting it in. That's one of the reasons I just typed the lyrics straight through instead of adding commentary on the performance, because then you can just skip past the song if you wanted. I really, really suggest you go and listen to it. I think it would kind of bring it all together (at least it did for me) and that way if you skipped the written lyrics you can still get a feel as to why I put this in. The song is Therapy by All Time Low. If you do listen to it, you should comment what you thought and if you think it fits as well as I did because I really do think it fits perfectly… And if you didn't go listen to the song, you should still comment because I would smile XD and this authors note has now gone on for far too long, so, until next time, goodbye! (: **


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: GUYS I'M SO SORRY THIS TOOK SO LONG! Seriously, I didn't mean to put it off for this long. And I feel really bad because this is probably the shortest thing I've ever written, ever. But I just felt like ending it here… YOU CAN HATE ME I KNOW I'M A TERRIBLE PERSON. But seriously, if you feel like leaving me a very strong worded review about how I suck and stuff, feel free. I kinda need that motivation to WRITE WRITE WRITE right now… Anywho, enjoy! **

The rest of the week was relatively uneventful for Thad, giving him time to think about what he was going to say to Jeff when he got the chance. He probably would have already addressed the problem, if Jeff hadn't been running out of every classroom as soon as the bell rung and then disappearing to god knows where when he didn't have a lesson. The fact that he seemed to be avoiding everyone just increased the worry that was constantly nagging at the back of Thad's mind.

Finally, Saturday came. Jeff was nowhere to be found, as usual. However, Thad now had a pretty good idea as to where he would be hiding. He had been watching Jeff much closer after that day in the Warbler Hall (and didn't that sound creepy), and he started to notice when Jeff would disappear and in which direction.

Mentally going over his plan once again, Thad knew he had exactly one chance to bring this up. If he got it wrong, there was absolutely no way Jeff would let him in again. _Although if this doesn't work, I could always talk to Nick… He should know what's going on, right? And, well, if he doesn't then it would probably be best if he didn't stay in the dark. _

Turning the last corner, Thad finally found Jeff. The boy certainly had a knack for finding hidden spots, Thad would give him that. The small space was almost invisible unless you were looking for it, and not many people went looking for a small clearing behind a vast boarding school.

After slowly inspecting the area with his eyes, Thad found Jeff. The poor boy was curled up into himself, looking absolutely miserable. He wasn't crying, though. His eyes had a lost, glazed over look to them; he clearly wasn't focusing on anything, despite his steady gaze into the surrounding trees.

Not wanting to spook the teen, Thad walked towards Jeff with slow, precise steps. "Jeff?" Thad said, trying to get his attention. When he still didn't get a response from the boy, he called a bit louder. "Jeff, man?" placing his hand on the shoulder of said guy. Jeff shot up, clearly not aware up until this point that he had company.

"Thad? What're you, uh, what are you doing here?" Jeff stammered out best he could while getting over the shock that comes with somebody catching you by surprise.

"I could as you the same thing. Why do you come sit out here every day instead of with all of us in the common room, like you used to?" Thad had planned on getting straight to the point, but maybe a little bit of harmless conversation wouldn't make a difference… or maybe he's just scared of what kind of answers he'd get if he just went for it.

Fear etched its way onto Jeff's face. "I just wanted some alone time, I guess… You know how much of a crowd all of us warblers can be…" He finished with a very forced laugh.

"Jeff." When the teenager still refused to look up at him, Thad tried again, a bit more straightforward this time. "Jeff, look at me. Please?" Finally getting something close to eye contact, he continued. "Tell me what's wrong."

"I- I don't know what you're talking about. Nothing's wrong; everything's fine."

"Jeff," Thad lowered his voice, while sliding down to rest on his knees; "I heard you singing that song in the Warbler's Hall. I know that wasn't "just a song", so don't even start with that. And frankly, I'm scared for you. By the looks of it, you have yet to let anyone in, besides maybe Nick, and so I-" Thad paused, contemplating the grimace that crossed Jeff's features slightly when he'd spoken Nick's name. Not the usual response, not even close. "It's got something to do with Nick, doesn't it?" Jeff sighed before slowly nodding his head. "So you haven't talked to _anybody?_" Receiving another hesitant nod, Thad cursed internally. And how long had this been going on? At least a week, probably more. Dropping his voice to a soft, comforting whisper, Thad said the only thing that could work right now. "Will you let me in?"

**A/N: I promise, next chapter will be up much sooner. Like, maybe within the week. **

**Ah shit now I've done it. MAYBE within the week. No promises. I'm really sorry, I wish I could promise but I'd probably end up breaking that promise so I'll say MAYBE. Much love to all of you who are still reading this fic (: **


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: HA! I TOLD YOU ALL IT'D BE UP SOON! Even I didn't know it'd be **_**this **_**soon, but hey- I'm full of surprises (; puppypersonLOTR, thank you for that motivation! Honestly, I doubt I would have it done this early without that review. So, thank you! I hope you all enjoy this, because I sure did enjoy writing it! I'm looking forward to resolving all of the problems with Jeff, because I want some fluff just as much as I'm sure all of you do! But these boys pretty much write themselves, so I can't say I'll make any promises… **

**DISCLAIMER- I always forget to put this here, but I'm pretty sure you all know that I own just about nothing referring to these characters, Dalton, Glee, or any other recognizable things in the story. I pretty much just own the plot! (And maybe not even that… hmmmm….)**

"Will you let me in?"

Jeff took a sharp breath. Now _that _was something unexpected. Funny thing, how you can be so sure you finally know a person and then BAM! They surprise you one again. And that's the thing- he doesn't even know Thad that well. So for somebody that was not even very close to him to be demanding answers- well, Jeff knows exactly what he's going to say to him. Oh yeah he's going to tell him where he can shove his questions and then just order him to leave him alone. And then he can go back to his wallowing and self-pity and… the loneliness… yup. Just like he wants to be left at the moment, alone. Thank you very much. "Yes." Wait WHAT? No no no no NO. That was not supposed to come out not even close to what he was supposed to say; in fact, it's quite the _opposite_ of what he's supposed to say. And yet… Jeff can't find it in himself to take it back. Which he knew he should, because if he doesn't he's going to have to answer some very hard questions. Questions he's not sure he can answer, in fact.

During Jeff's inner monologue, Thad had been something of a ball of emotions. They were actually pretty clearly portrayed on his face, and if you were paying attention to him it would be quite funny to see his features change so quickly. Of course Jeff hadn't been paying attention. But that didn't make the fear, confusion, concern, slight bit of hope, and then, later on, relief, any less present. "Thank you," Thad breathed, alerting Jeff that he really _had _committed to tell his story. "When did it all start?"

Jeff thought on that for a moment, trying to decide when to begin. "It… I guess it actually all started a few months ago. My mom texted me, which she pretty much never does, and asked me to come home for spring break; Nick, of course, told me not to and I mean, he was right. My dad has always been a dick and there wasn't a reason he should change… So I said I would stay to make him happy. Except I still went," sniffling a little, Jeff looked at his hands, embarrassed.

"I thought you were going home with him for spring break?" Thad questioned, clearly confused.

"He… he offered but I didn't want to intrude or anything. He already spent too much time with me when he should have been visiting his parents and I didn't want to take away from that," He said quietly, still not raising his head.

"But that's silly, Jeff! Nick would never _not _want to spend time with you!"

He let out a humorless laugh that was short and clipped. "Right. So I went home, and it was actually better than I expected. My dad was still mean to me, but he wasn't… using force or anything so-"

"Your dad _hits _you?" Astonished, Thad didn't think twice about interrupting the story.

"He… he used to. That's why Nick didn't want me to go… But he didn't hit me this time! Not once! He just… said some stuff that I tried to not let get to me but some of it was so true-"

"Jeff, nothing that comes out of that man's mouth is true. Not if he is so bad that it would result to violence. He is so wrong, whatever he said… Okay?"

"Are you going to keep interrupting? It's hard enough to talk as it is…" Jeff avoided acknowledging Thad's question, hoping he wouldn't press for an answer.

"Okay, okay, sorry. Please, continue."

Taking a deep breath in, Jeff started up again. "So I came back to Dalton and it was… I started to realize what had happened. I don't know if you know, but when Nick and I got together we promised each other that we'd never lie, we'd always tell each other if something was wrong, and if I _started _again I would tell him. And I broke two of those promises in one _week," _Jeff let out a mangled sob, not able to continue when every attempt a word came out as a cry. Thad quickly moved over, putting his arm around Jeff in a move that was obviously meant to be comforting a friendly, but just reminded Jeff of what N- _he _ used to do when Jeff was hurting. Jeff expected Thad to cut in again, with some repetitive, meaningless, 'encouraging' words, but he just silently waited for Jeff to go on. He was kind of grateful for the silence. Typically, comforting words only managed to make him feel worse.

After a good fifteen minutes, Thad most likely realized that Jeff needed something to prompt him back into the story, because he finally opened his mouth. "What happened next?" He asked softly.

Jeff finally calmed down enough to speak again, although the tears had yet to stop. He was now whispering, so Thad had subconsciously leaned forward to be able to catch all of the words. "I got back before Nick did. He found me in the room and I tried to hide the cuts but he- he saw the blood. And," another sniffle; "And he just cleaned them up and didn't say much but I _knew _he was disappointed, I could tell. And mad, too. He started asking me about them but I couldn't tell him and it was so hard! Because… There were cuts from all week there, not just that day and Nick started to think that he'd done something wrong which make me feel even _worse-_" Jeff took a deep breath, letting it out with a sigh. "And then he found me unpacking my suitcase and I was so scared he would ask about it, but then he started walking towards me and it just… felt like I was back at my Dad's house and so I did the one thing I probably shouldn't have done. I asked him to "please not hit me", which raised even more questions… In the end I told him it was a dream about my dad that I was still worked up about. And I'm so scared that he's going to figure it out really soon and then it'll all be over and-" Jeff started sobbing again.

Thad was taken aback, obviously. The whole thing was way worse than he'd thought it would be. That wasn't much of a surprise, though. He had always been a positive person; always looking on the bright side, hoping for the best. He did know, though, that it's a very good thing he got Jeff to tell him all of this. Even though he was certain this wasn't the entirety of the story, he was glad he at least got this much. He really didn't want to make Jeff talk about it anymore, but there was one more piece of information he thought necessary.

"What kinds of things did he say to you? Your dad, I mean."

By the look on his face, it was clear Jeff had been praying this question wouldn't pop up. "I… I don't want to tell you."

"I don't want to make you. But it would help me… please. If there is any way you can bring yourself to tell me…" The sentence trailed off, letting Jeff fill in the blanks with whatever he thought would go there.

"I… he talked about… All kinds of stuff. At first it really didn't faze me, but then he started talking about… Nick and… and you guys," The last part was almost inaudible, so much so that Thad wasn't even sure he'd heard right. With the addition of that last bit of information, everything started to fit itself together in his mind, like a puzzle.

It all came down to what Mr. Sterling had said. Even though Jeff hadn't specified, he had a pretty good idea of what it was about. And that was why he'd been avoiding them all like they had the plague; that's why he was acting differently around Nick. (everyone had noticed. I mean, come on! It's Niff for god's sake!) All he knew is that he needed to first build the trust back with Jeff and himself, before finally bringing anybody else into the picture. And that is how he slowly began to form a plan in his mind.

**A/N: So, what did you think? Good? Bad? I was thinking that Jeff at the beginning was a bit OOC, but I liked it the way it was, so I left it. Next chapter should (**_**should- **_**I said should) be up soon! Until then, goodbye (:**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: So, here's chapter seven! I had a few comments asking me about Nick, because he really hasn't been too prominent up until this point in the story, and I decided it was time to add a chapter from the other half of the 3-6 mafia's POV! So, enjoy (: **

Nick knew that something was up. Jeff hadn't been the same since he'd gotten back from his parents' house, and it was really starting to worry Nick. Clearly something more than just a "bad dream" had happened. Jeff refused to talk about it, adamant that nothing was wrong. And frankly, it was starting to piss Nick off. He'd known Jeff for pretty much his entire life, and the fact that Jeff still thought he could keep something this monumental from him was almost insulting. He would probably be mad at the seeming lack of trust that wasn't there before if he wasn't so worried about the boy he loved.

But now he was done dancing around the issue. It had been just short of a month since the break, and yet he'd gotten no more information on the subject than he'd had the first day. He was just so concerned! He knew from experience that if Jeff didn't let him in, it was likely he wouldn't let anybody in, and keeping something like that bottled up is never good. It's what started Jeff's cutting issue in the first place!

A ringing bell reminded Nick that he'd just zoned out on the last twenty minutes of history. Sighing, he stood up, making a mental note to ask Thad to copy his notes later. Actually, seeing how this was the last class of the day, he might as well ask him right now. Upon deciding this, he redirected his steps to lead himself to Thad and Trent's room instead of his and Jeff's.

He stopped when he finally reached the wooden door, identical to every other one in the school except for the brass 32 tacked onto it. He knocked three times before sticking his hand in the pocket of his dress pants to wait for the door to open. It did just that mere seconds later, hinting that Thad had been standing near the door.

"Nick!" Thad sounded almost relieved to see him… Weird. "I was actually thinking about coming to see you…" Okay, something was up.

"Uhh… I just wanted to borrow your history notes. I kinda zoned out during class today…" Nick said, still confused as to why Thad needed him. It wasn't like they were best friends, and the anxiety prominent on his face was worrying. God, Nick was doing a lot of worrying lately. "But uh, if you need something I can try to help or whatever," the awkwardness of this conversation was overwhelming.

"Oh yeah, I got the notes right here," Thad said, handing him a neat pile of notes after a bit of searching in his bag. "And… I more want to help you. I… do you want to come in?" This could not get any more awkward.

"Yeah sure…" After walking into the room and finding a place to sit across from Thad, he went on. "What do I need helping with?"

Thad took a deep breath. "Jeff."

Nick was instantly interested, surprise evident on his face. "What about Jeff?"

"He… he's been acting weird lately, hasn't he? I think I know-, no, I _know _why. And he's going to kill me for telling you but… you need to know." The seriousness of Thad's tone made it clear that he was sure of what's going on, but the concern behind his eyes was what worried Nick.

"Yeah, he has… I… I want to know."

"Jeff told me about how his mom contacted him and… and how he told you he wouldn't go home. But, Nick, he did go. He wanted to see his mom, and you never know… I mean, his dad could have changed."

Nick felt the familiar feeling of his throat closing up, signaling that he was already close to tears. Oh no, no no no no no, that did not happen. "But he didn't, did he? He didn't change." Nick said hoarsely.

"Actually, he kind of did…" Seeing the look of disbelief and slight hope on Nick's face, That elaborated. "He didn't resort to physical violence once… But he did have quite a few choice words for him. He actually handled it pretty well for the first part of the week. The thought of coming back to you is what kept him going, at least from what I can tell. But at some point in the week, something came up that stayed. He said it was something about you and the rest of us. I… I think we can both fill in the blanks there. Anyways, he came back to Dalton and got really paranoid about you finding out, and about breaking the promises and stuff… And then, well, you found him." Finishing his story, Thad finally looked at Nick to see how he was processing it all.

Nick knew he looked every bit as torn up on the outside as he felt on the inside. This was, after all, way worse than even he could have imagined. The tears were streaming down his face, but he couldn't make a sound. Not a word, not a cry, not even a sob. His mind was too jumbled at the moment to process anything more than the almost unbelievable information he'd just received.

"Nick, don't hate him for this. Please," Thad was begging on Jeff's behalf, clearly worried that Nick hadn't said anything yet. "He didn't tell you because he was so worried about losing you, Nick! Whatever his dad said really messed with his head, and you can't blame him for being paranoid. He really loves you, I just don't know if he knows that you love him. Not that you don't show it! But whatever his dad convinced him about you obviously wasn't good and it-"

"Thad." Nick had finally found his voice, glad he could stop Thad from continuing on his rambling plea. "I love him, so much. There is no way in _hell_ I'd leave him, especially not because that asshat decided to talk to MY Jeff like that. I'm just so… confused and worried and I don't know what to do!" Nick was a mess right now.

"Shhh, Nick, we'll figure something out, alright? You're not alone in this. We'll help Jeff, promise. But right now I think you need to calm down and get back to your room. We've been in here for…" Thad looked down at his watch in surprise; "we've been in here talking for an hour and a half. And I know I still have that essay for Murdoch due tomorrow… We'll figure this out soon, okay?" He said the last part softer than the rest. Nick nodded and wiped his face, trying to rid it of the dried tears.

"Yeah, I have a lot of stuff to do too… Thank you Thad. I'm a lot closer to being able to help him now. And, thanks for the history notes," Nick said with a watery smile, breaking a bit of the tension.

"Anytime, buddy." Thad returned his smile, giving him a brief hug before Nick opened the door and headed back to his own room. He had a lot to think about.

**A/N: Everything is coming together! What will happen to our lovely pair? I'll probably find out only a few minutes before you guys, seeing as how I have no clue what the next chapter will be… That being said, it might be a while before the next chapter is up. So, bear with me for a short while, and I'll try and have it for you as soon as possible! **

**Questions? Comments? Opinions? Feel free to comment or PM me! (: **

**See you next time, lovelies! **


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: So, here is chapter eight. Wow. I honestly never expected to get to eight chapters with this! It started out as a one-shot, for god's sake! But here we are. This won't be the last chapter, but there will probably be only one or two after this. My school starts back up in two days, and from then on my schedule allows for absolutely no free time. With that being said, if this does end up not being updated and finishing here, I'M SO SORRY! I don't think it will, honestly, because I've grow so attached to this story and all of the followers. I also have a thing about having to finish things, so I doubt you'll ever see me abandon a story. Anyways, I've go on for far too long, and I know you want to just enjoy chapter eight! WE FINALLY GET SOME CONFRONTATION. WHOOP. **

After the door closed behind him, Nick leaned against it and slowly slid down into a crouched position, putting his head in his hands. He needed to get a grip on his emotions before he headed back to his room. If Jeff was there, which he probably wasn't but you could never be too careful, he didn't want to look like he'd just had one of the most emotionally trying conversations he'd ever had. Which, of course, he had. But Jeff couldn't know that, not yet.

Taking a few last deep breaths, Nick stood up, dragging a hand down his face in effort to wipe away any and all evidence that he'd been crying. With that done, he finally started towards his room again. Upon arriving, he unlocked the door and stepped in. He really wasn't expecting to find Jeff sitting on Nick's bed, waiting for him.

"Jeff?" he said in confusion.

"Yes?" Seeing the confusion written on Nick's face, Jeff spoke again. "Am I not allowed to be in my room or something? I mean if you wanted me to leave I guess I could…"

"No! No, uh yeah no it's your room too, after all. I just wasn't expecting you to be here so… early. You haven't been around much, ya know?" Nick said awkwardly, his hand going to rub the back of his neck like he did when he was embarrassed.

Jeff looked panicked at that, as if he hadn't expected Nick to notice he was avoiding him.

"Jeff, I think you're forgetting how well I know you. I can tell when I'm being avoided…" Nick lowered his voice, trying to make his voice comforting and soft. He'd thought it worked pretty well, but Jeff still looked like he was freaking out.

"I- I'm not avoiding you, why would I do that?" The lie was written all over Jeff's face.

Nick took a deep breath. He had two options here. He could back out of the conversation, tell Jeff to forget it and move on, or he could really get down to the heart of it with Jeff. He really, really didn't want to address this right now, but this little dance they were doing around the topic was both tiring and pointless. Plus, the longer he put it off, the longer Jeff had to suffer through with the thought that Nick wanted to leave him. So, evidently, he was going for it.

"Jeff?" Nick took a deep breath, closing his eyes to mentally prepare himself before continuing; "Tell me what's going on."

Jeff paled, eyes scanning the room, probably looking for a way out. "Nothing's going on," he choked out.

"Jeff I know something's wrong. I know because I love you, and so I've spent the better part of the last few years finding out everything I can about you, and what you like, and how you act, and why you do certain things! Because I always want to be able to help. But I can't help if you don't fill me in." Nick was glad he'd already gone through the shock of it all with Thad, meaning he could (hopefully) keep his composure a bit better now.

"I… there's nothing to tell," Jeff's voice was, for lack of a better word, small. He seemed to fold in on himself as he spoke and Nick's ears had to strain to be able to pick up what was being said. "I'm fine."

"No, you're not. Jeffy, please stop lying to me!" Nick really didn't think he could bring himself to approach this topic again, so it had to be settled right here, right now. He really didn't want to make Jeff relive the whole story for a second time, but it would be more finalizing to hear it directly from Jeff. That is, if he could get Jeff to talk about it. AS the silence carried on, Nick was starting to think it would be a good idea to mention that Thad had told him everything. But he really didn't want to throw him under the bus, and if ever a situation occurred where Jeff needed someone to talk to and he felt he couldn't talk to Nick (heaven forbid that ever happens, but it might), he wants Jeff to be able to confide in Thad. So, basically, he's in a bit of a situation.

"Jeff… Tell me why you were unpacking your suitcase," he figured that he might as well start with a question like that; simple and direct, but still a part of the problem overall. He thought maybe this would be easier for Jeff if they started small, but clearly Jeff was just becoming more freaked out.

Jeff continued to study his hands, refusing to look at Nick or answer the question. Okay, so this strategy was clearly not going to work.

"I know what happened, Jeff. I… I overheard you telling Thad the other day," hopefully that was a good enough excuse to not turn the blame onto Thad.

Jeff blanched, before he just outright burst into tears. "I- I'm so- so sorry N-Nicky," Jeff was choking on his words, the combination of sobbing and trying to talk was evidently hard. Nick immediately went into comfort mode, wrapping his arms around Jeff and pulling the boy close. Jeff curled into him, making him seem even more tiny and broken.

"Shh, shh, it's alright Jeffy," Nick whispered into the boy's hair. "I'm not mad at you, I'm not mad, promise."

"Bu- but I l-lied to yo-ou and-" Jeff's sentence was cut off as a horrible sob wracked his body. It was painful for Nick to listen to.

"No, shh, Jeff I don't care. I know it must have been terribly difficult to deal with that- more so than I could understand because I've never been through something like that… But you're the strongest person I know because you're still here, and you at least let Thad in. And Jeff, I think I have a pretty good idea as to what he said to you. I don't know how, yet, but I do know that I am not going to stop until I convince you that I love you with everything that I am, and I won't let you slip away from me this easily. I'm yours forever, got that?" Nick finished his lecture with watery eyes, but he was proud to say he kept it together. Jeff didn't need him to be a mess, Jeff needed him to be strong. So, strong he will be.

Jeff was looking up at Nick in amazement, clearly expecting a different kind of response to his secret being let out. "I… okay," Jeff said quietly, still clearly dumbfounded by the unexpected turn of events. Nick gave him a watery smile, absolutely ecstatic when it was returned. Things may be rough, and he will for sure have a hell of a time convincing Jeff that he was really here for him, but he'd made progress, and in the end he was confident that everything would be okay.

But for now, there had been more than enough tears. He just wanted to spend the rest of the night curled up with his boyfriend, talking about nothing and smiling and kissing. Like they were always meant to do.

**A/N: So how'd that go? I feel like it went well, but then again it could be confusing and unrealistic and embarrassing to the title of "author", so maybe you could tell me what you thought? (; GOODBYE FOR NOW, LOVELIES! (Also, I know I said probably one or two more chapters, but if this ends up going on for like twenty or some crazy shit like that, feel free to take my computer away from me k thanks.)**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: So, wow. I'm a horrible person. I… nobody tell me how long it's been, because I might cry. Legitimately. I'm so sorry. It's just… School picked up, like I said it was going to, and suddenly my life had no stopping points. No rests. ): but I've finally gotten back to this story, which I have loved writing with all my heart. **

**THIS WILL BE THE LAST CHAPTER!**

**I'm so sorry to say that, because I don't want to let go, but it's the best place for me to stop it. Now, I may not be done writing in this verse… So, if anybody would like to give me a prompt or idea, or I come up with one, dealing with this setting and verse and such, I will probably post it either in my drabbles or, more likely, as a one-shot. So, author alert if you'd like to get the alerts for when I post something of that sorts (: AND NOW, FINALLY, SADLY, THE LAST CHAPTER: **

_**SIX MONTHS LATER**_

"Nick!" Jeff called from the doorway to their room. "If you don't hurry up we're going to leave without you!" He had no intentions of being late for tonight's date. You see, tonight they were going out on a group date with Thad and his girlfriend, Marissa, Wes and David and Sebastian and Beatz. It had taken the warblers over a month to get those last two to admit that they were having sex, and another two months after that to get them to confess to their relationship. And now that they were proudly out as a couple they all wanted a night to celebrate their accomplishments.

"Sorry, sorry!" Nick said, breathing heavily as he yanked Jeff the rest of the way out of the doorway with one hand while using the other to slam the door. Their pace didn't change as they hurried down to the parking lot, where the others would be waiting for them to show up.

"Took you two long enough!"

"Shut up Seb, no one likes you."

"I'll have you know that I lo- um, like him. So, there…" Beatz's cherry red face and almost slip up on words had the group in stiches the rest of the relatively short drive to the restaurant. What almost none of them heard was Sebastian's whispered reply.

"I… I think I love you too, Beatz…"

Jeff, being the only one to hear the exchange, silently _awwwed _and made a mental note to tell Nick once they got back from dinner. Sebastian had far too much blackmail on the pair, and every little bit they could find on him was gold.

The whole night was filled with laughter and much conversation. To say the least, there was never a dull moment. It had been so long since they boys had all had a night out together. It was also a chance for them to meet Marissa, who was a new addition to the "warbler women", but had Thad seeing hearts from day one. She seemed like a wonderful, well rounded girl, and was definitely on her way to winning the Warbler Seal of Approval, but the deciding moment was when the conversation took a turn in this direction:

"Jeff, your hair is really perfect. No, seriously, how'd you get it that color?" Marissa had taken an immediate liking to Jeff, and had been joking around with him throughout dinner. Nick would have been a bit jealous, but she wasn't _that _type, and it was all in good humor.

"Yeah Jeffy, your hair is _so _fetch. Do you think I could pull off that color?" Thad quickly joined in the fun, not to be out done by his girlfriend. This earned him a playful slap on the arm from both Jeff and Marissa as the whole table burst into laughter for what was definitely not the first time that night.

"Okay, okay. But now I have a serious question for Nick and Jeff. Yes, you should look afraid. Just like you do right now. Mhm." Marissa was quickly becoming a favorite of Niff's. "You two have been together for what, three years now? Or maybe just eternity. Who really knows. Anyways, how is it that you have never had a single fight, or misunderstanding, or _anything_? You're the power couple to beat all power couples! But I know there must have been… something. So, come on, spill." Marissa now had all of the couples' attentions, as most of them were wondering the same. Only Thad knew the full story of what had happened six months ago; the rest of the Warblers had been told a much more… abbreviated version that left out the more gruesome parts. Basically they all thought Jeff had gone to his parents' house, started cutting again, and when Nick found out he helped him stop. Therefore, Nick was close to just putting it off with a cocky "I guess we're just better than any relationship, ever", but for some reason he paused. That's when Jeff started talking.

"There's been… one. One thing, about six months ago… I almost ended it over some huge, stupid misunderstanding." By now all five of the other people sitting at their table were on the edge of their seats, Nick included. Was Jeff really going to tell everything that happened? Why, yes he was. And he did. And there were a couple of tears shed, (yes, Sebastian cried, and Nick think's he might have gotten it on video,) and some hugs all around and an even stronger connection between the group of friends.  
And that's when Marissa quietly turned to Jeff and rolled up her sleeve. There, all along her arm, were burns. "I know exactly how you felt," She said to the, again, quiet table. From that moment on she was always welcomed into Niff's room, she was an honorary Warbler and she was given the approval to marry Thad if she wanted to.

Jeff felt oddly calm after telling his friends the full story. There was something about being able to talk about everything that had happened that, in a way, gave him closure. He could put that event behind him now, and move on with his relationship. He remained good friends with Marissa, even after her and Thad broke it off because neither of them could do the long-distance-college relationship. His life was in no means a walk in the park, but it was do-able. He had Nick by his side, a smile on his face and he finally felt good.

**A/N: I'll keep this one short, guys. I love you all who have read this from the beginning or who just joined me recently. It means so much that you've taken the time to read my writing. Especically those of you who have taken the time to review. It makes me smile so much to hear from you guys. And, like I said, I'm probably not done writing in the verse, just on this story. So, if you have a prompt you'd like to send me, you can PM me or just leave it as a review. I will try my hardest to write it for you as well as message you once I've put it up. And now, GOOD BYE AND INTERNET LOVE TO YOU ALL!**


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